This invention is concerned mainly with monitoring and diagnosing the operation of a railway/guideway network to enhance the safety and security of the same. Comprising at least one track/guideway and one vehicle for transportation on it, a railway/guideway network is herein referred to as a railway network.
Safety is undoubtedly the foremost consideration in the operation of a railway network. Many safety features can be found in railway equipment and devices. Among the large number of patents concerning such safety features, the three that are believed to be most closely related to the invention disclosed herein are U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,505, U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,256, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,990. However, none of them is concerned with monitoring and diagnosing the entire operation of a railway network.
As the activities in a railway network are closely interdependent, a system that comprehensively monitors and diagnoses the entire operation of a railway network is much needed. In response to such a need, a novel railway operation monitoring and diagnosing system (ROMADS) is herein disclosed, which uses mainly the information available in most existing railway networks to monitor and diagnose the railway operation, and if so decided, issue an alert and/or a recommendation for remedial action.